Atonement
by SkipToMyCthulu
Summary: A failed attempt to kidnap Eri by the League of Villains leaves Enji Todoroki with the opportunity of a lifetime: atone for his greatest sin.
1. Chapter 1

Pain. There was always pain, but if there was one sensation Dabi had learned to get used to, it was pain. The pain as his own Quirk scorched a body unsuitable to handle the too-hot blue flames. The pain as the staples along his cheeks, his arms, his chest, his _eye sockets_ stretched and dug into burnt, scarred flesh- and into the remaining healthy flesh as well. The pain of his familial memories that drove him to insanity- to _villainy_ in the first place and continued to do so. _I thought about it so much I went crazy._

Dabi was very much used to pain of all kinds, and his involvement with the League of Villains _finally_ allowed him to give others a taste of what pain had to offer.

Their mission for tonight was simple but important for the League's ambitions: little Toga Himiko and he were to abduct the horned girl from the U.A. dorms, with the help of Ujiko of course. She was the _source_ , as Tomura had so eloquently put it, for bullets that permanently erased Quirks. Why the shriveled idiot couldn't invest in a molecular scientist to just clone her cells, Dabi would never know. But, if he knew Tomura well enough (and unfortunately at this point, he _did_ ), then his guess would be to deliver another blow the hero's morale and the faith the public had put in them.

An attack on the dorms meant to protect the students from, well, _villain attacks_? How deliciously evil. Steal a girl originally held hostage by the Yakuza and harvest her cells as they had? Icing on the cake. Create a black market with bullets that erased Quirks and bullets that returned them? That icing has garnish now. Dabi felt the staples pull at his cheeks as a Cheshire-grin spread across his lips. There were certainly quite a few people, so-called _heroes_ \- and villains alike, that would be utterly and completely _lost_ without the Quirks they had identified with their entire lives. Toga seemed to share his crazed delight, giggling into her hands- or maybe she was just _fucking crazy_ and heard voices. Dabi really didn't care at this point. He tilted his head in the direction of his lunatic partner, eyelids drooped lazily and sporting his sharp grin.

"Ready for some good new-fashioned kidnapping, little girl?"

Toga blanched, her tongue sticking out in disgust. "Ugh! Let's just get the nasty part over with. Ujiko! Hurry up and-"

She never got to finish her sentence- not that Dabi was complaining. It was rare to get Toga to shut the fuck up for a change, and even more satisfying as the black sludge of Ujiko poured from her mouth smelling like sewage and looking like blackened vomit. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as the sludge erupted from Dabi's own mouth like a tarpit geyser, but his taste buds had been singed long, _long_ ago and he knew the sensation was relatively dulled for him in comparison. He absently wondered as his vision went black with sludge when the last time he would have been as repulsed by Ujiko as little Toga had.

When Dabi was released from Ujiko's… _whatever the fuck it was_ , he had expected to arrive during the dark of midnight in the horned child's room. Ujiko's Quirk was based on the location of the individual- it naturally made sense to warp to the child when she was _supposed_ to be in bed. Dabi somehow felt the burnt, dead flesh under his eye twitch and pull at the staples as he realized very quickly that they _did not_ , in fact warp to horned child's room. Rather than that, here they were in the common room of the 1A dorms where she apparently was involved in _a fucking midnight board game of all things_ with the curly-haired greenette brat with the freckles that Tomura despised as much as Toga was enamored.

Dabi was sure his expression matched the shell-shocked looks Izuku Midoriya and Eri gave him and his partner, although the awkward silence lasted all of the half-second it took for Toga to squeal loudly "Izuku-kun!" (fucking _really,_ Toga?!) and throw herself on top of the poor boy. Oh well, at least her fanaticism would provide a good distraction. Or inadvertently call for backup, if the hurried sound of footsteps coming from the hallways were any indication. Shit.

With a quick flick of his wrists, Dabi blasted the hallways with his Cremation Quirk, creating a barrier for the students who weren't death-by-fire-proof. The little horned girl tried to run as Midoriya did his best to kick Toga off him and avoid being shanked to her liking, but Dabi was faster and latched onto Eri's wrist with unyielding strength. But before he could call for Ujiko to get them the fuck out of there, a bright light from the little girl's horn erupted and he felt himself _burn_ like he had never burned before. But wait… that's not true- there was _one_ time… _oh shit!_

Three things happened within the timespan of a few seconds: Ujiko spewed from Toga's mouth, teleporting her off of Izuku and away from the chaos in the 1A dorm common room, Erasurehead's Quirk ended the light shining from Eri's horn, and Dabi's clothes crumbled from the ground- the villain erased from existence.

Ice coated the hallways of the 1A dorm hallways, courtesy of Shoto Todoroki's Quirk. The charred paint glistened in obsidian black from beneath the frosted layer, a clear reminder of what had transpired only minutes ago. The entirety of class 1A bordered the perimeter of the common room, every student quiet with all eyes trained on Eri as she clung to Shota Aizawa. The homeroom teacher of 1A rubbed soothing circles on the frightened child's back, staring absently at the pile of ruffled clothes that had once belonged to the villain Dabi- a haunting reminder of just exactly what Eri's power was capable of if left unchecked. Aizawa lifted his seemingly bored gaze to meet the eyes of his students.

"I'm glad you were all rational tonight. You handled the situation quickly and efficiently, and Eri-chan's safety, as well as your own, has been reestablished. This will serve as an important lesson and will hopefully reinforce the faith the public and your parents have put in U.A. regarding the safety of the dorm living. The police are on their way to investigate. With the exception of Midoriya, who directly encountered the villains, and Todoroki who extinguished the flames, you may all return to your rooms or choose to stay and give your statements now rather than in the morning."

"S-sensei!" Kirishima pointed a shaky finger down at the pile of clothes in front of Eraser Head, drawing everyone's attention. "There's something there!"

Eyes flashing red and hair flying up as his Quirk activated, Aizawa placed Eri behind him before carefully approaching the articles Dabi had left behind. They were raising and falling in a slow rhythm- _something_ was breathing.

A quick yank of the long coat the villain had worn garnered a shocked gasp from most of the class as they stared in shock at a young child with spiky crimson hair sleeping naked under the cloak. Aizawa felt the warning signs of a headache coming on as his eye twitched. He _really_ wasn't paid enough for this shit.

* * *

"And so this child is the product of Eri's Quirk going haywire on the villain Dabi?" Naomasa reiterated. This was certainly the first case of its kind- how does one go about dealing with a villain-turned-child?

Aizawa nodded in confirmation, eyes drifting back to the sleeping child-version of said villain curled on the couch in the midst of his own crime scene. He shifted a bit, revealing the ironic pink peace sign Momo Yaoyorozu had added as a personal touch to the turquoise onesie she had produced to conceal the child's modesty. Naomasa couldn't help but smile; Dabi as a child was disarmingly adorable. There's an assortment of adults present: Naomasa and Samsa from the police force and the entirety of the U.A. faculty. Eri and the students of Class 1A, minus Midoriya and Todoroki, had returned to bed after the heroes and police had arrived to assess the situation.

"Her Quirk rewinds the time of whatever living thing she comes into contact with," Nezu mused, head tilted in contemplation. "He'll have to stand trial for all the crimes he's committed eventually." The principle of U.A. turned toward Izuku Midoriya. "Midoriya, you've experienced young Eri-chan's Quirk personally. How long will the effects remain in place?"

"They're permanent," Midoriya said, all eyes suddenly on him. A light blush dusted his freckled cheeks and he averted his gaze from the adults. "Eri-chan used her Quirk on me when we faced against Overhaul. I continuously broke my bones to give her power something to 'rewind'. If the changes weren't permanent, then…"

Aizawa huffed at this detail. _Problem child indeed_ , Naomasa mused, and from the looks of All Might's slack-jawed expression, the retired hero was probably at his wit's end when it came to Midoriya's self-destructive behavior. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who in the room was asked, Midoriya never got a chance to finish after trailing off mid-sentence. A squeaky yawn interrupted whatever form of investigation was occurring, and all eyes were on the red-headed child rubbing his eyes tiredly on the couch. _Disarmingly adorable…_

Turquoise eyes blinked owlishly at the assembly in front of him and Dabi squeaked, pressing himself against the back of the couch as if to hide. Midoriya rushed forward before anyone could stop him, crouching down to the cowering boy to meet him at eye level.

"Hey now, don't be afraid. These are the heroes and police," Midoriya cooed. The faculty looked ready to reprimand him- because now matter how cute he was now, Dabi was still a villain- when the child visibly relaxed.

"W-where… where am I?" Dabi asked, shy and hesitant. Naomasa took the opportunity to join Midoriya and kneeled in front of the child. He handed Dabi his police badge, smiling a bit when he fiddled with the metal in his hands with a small look of child-like wonder.

"You're in the dorms built for first year students at U.A.; you were hit by a very strange and unique Quirk." Naomasa supplied. Dabi's eyes widened a bit.

"U.A." He gasped, causing everyone in the room to tense a bit. "Father said I would have gone there if… but I'm not…" He trailed off before looking down at the badge in his tiny hands with sad eyes. Midoriya- bless him and his mother hen nature- gently grasped Dabi's tiny hands in his own. The child looked at the teenager with watery eyes, the older boy prompting him to continue with a small nod.

"I wasn't perfect."

The answer was barely above a whisper, but it may as well have been shouted for how silent the room was in that moment. Naomasa's eyebrows raised halfway to his hairline- his lie-detection Quirk indicated that Dabi was telling the truth. The silence was interrupted by the crunching sound of glass- no, _ice_ Naomasa noted, as frosty flakes crunched in the clenched fist of Shoto Todoroki, a dark and fierce scowl on the normally stoic boy's face. Dabi's answer must have struck something personal with the boy, but there were more pressing issues. The detective pushed down the natural curiosity he felt about Todoroki's reaction to address the child directly in front of him.

"Let's play a game, Dabi." Naomasa suggested. The child, realizing he was the one the detective was speaking to, tilted his head curiously. "It's called an answer for an answer. I ask a question, and you answer the question. Then you get to ask me a question, and I'll answer. Does that sound like something you can play?"

He nodded his head, prompting the detective to continue. "Why were the League of Villains after Eri-chan tonight?"

Dabi blinked owlishly before giving the detective an incredulous look. It was the most he had looked like his older-self since waking up. "I… I don't know what you're asking me. What's a league of villains?" With his Quirk confirming that the child was being truthful, _that_ response certainly answered an unasked question- Dabi's memory, no his _existence_ beyond his current age was gone. And if Midoriya's testimony was accurate, it could very well be gone _forever_. What a truly dangerous Quirk Eri-chan had.

Realizing Dabi was awaiting an answer of his own, Naomasa decided to clarify. "The League of Villains are a criminal organization bent on destroying the current hero society." Dabi nodded even if he still looked confused, signaling it was once again Naomasa's turn for a question. "What is the last thing you remember, Dabi?"

The child suddenly turned red and looked ashamed. "Mother sent me to bed because I went into the same room as her without my hood on." He wrung his little hands together nervously. "She doesn't like the way I look." Another truth- a _sobering_ one at that and the detective felt his jaw clench angrily. A scoff from Nemura Kayama, aka the R-rated hero Midnight interrupted whatever response Naomasa had been planning in rebuttal to _that_ particularly horrifying tidbit of information.

"Then she has poor taste," Midnight said casually. Another truth- _dammit Nemura, not now!_ She sent the boy a wink, "With such beautiful features, I'm sure you'll leave a trail of broken hearts in your wake once you grow up."

The group collectively deadpanned at the teacher's flirty attempt at boosting Dabi's self-esteem, and the poor child could only cover his turquoise eyes with tiny hands, face flamed red. "Is it my turn now?" He groaned in embarrassment, eyes peeking from between his fingers. Naomasa nodded in confirmation.

"Why do you keep calling me Dabi?"

The child's question, asked in innocence brought a heavy silence to the room. Yagi Toshinori, formerly All Might was the one to break the silence. "Is he telling the truth, Tsukauchi? Are his memories- his _existence_ beyond this age really gone?"

"They are," The detective confirmed, reaching above turquoise eyes brimming with unasked questions to ruffle the scarlet hair. He felt his heart squeeze a little as the kid flinched initially before relaxing into the feeling of Naomasa's fingers playing with the crimson strands. "Dabi is… _was_ a name we knew you by. Can you tell us your real name?"

The redheaded child grinned. "I'm Touya!"

Shoto Todoroki choked on his own spit, but before Tsukauchi could comment, Nezu clasped his paws in front of him with a smile.

"Well then I think the most practical solution would be to find any living family members and see if we can come to a solution. If this change is permanent, then little Touya's time has been reversed to a point long before his involvement with the League. There's no sense in holding a child accountable to anything he hasn't done, and he will need protection in case the League decides to come after him. Do you all agree?"

Murmurs of unanimous agreement sounded throughout the room, and the fuzzy white mammal principle stepped forward between Midoriya and Naomasa, smiling as Touya's hands came down to pet him between the ears. He gently removed the child's probing hands, holding them in his paws and smiling up at him sitting on the couch. "My name is Principle Nezu, little Touya. I don't have a family name, but I'm also not human! Can you tell us your family name?"

Touya smiled wide as any child would to a talking animal. "It's Todoroki!"

Touya's smile faltered as he was met with eerie silence, with every member in the room wearing matching horrified expressions as if they slowly processed the implications of Dabi's origins.

" ** _SHIT._** "

Naomasa- and everyone else in the room turned rigidly towards the English profanity, but it wasn't the former number one hero that it came from. Shoto Todoroki stared with wide, wet eyes at Touya, teeth clenched and his left hand clutching the scar on the left side of his face.

A single tear hit the floor before hell broke loose.


	2. Chapter 2

Shoto closed the door to his dorm room behind him with a tired sigh, far more expressive than the stoic boy normally was, but _fucking shit_ it had been a trying night. He craned his neck over his shoulder to look down at his little (from now on anyways) brother, turquoise eyes puffy and bloodshot from hearing answers to questions he barely understood.

 _I was an adult?_

 _You're my brother?_

 _Mother is in the hospital?_

 _I... I was a villain?_

It was too much information and not nearly enough all at the same time, and Touya had been inconsolable throughout. Shoto was a private person and had divulged as little information as Aizawa-sensei would allow, but the faculty of U.A. and police now knew his family was the product of a Quirk marriage designed to produce powerful offspring. They could discern that it was not a happy marriage, but Shoto had remained tight-lipped on any further details. He had his support circle- well, Midoriya at least, his bastard of a father was attempting to atone (if Bakugo could change, then anyone could), and it wasn't anyone's business to be frank. Getting involved now wouldn't change the past, and after Shoto had asserted that Endeavor was _not_ the one who burned the left side of his face, the faculty had begrudgingly let it be. He had put his foot down when Naomasa had attempted to take Touya to the station for further questioning. His brother was tired, upset, and had his world turned upside down in more than one way and would be staying with him in the dorms where it was safe until morning. Touya had clung to him like glue once he discovered their relation and had been obviously relieved when Shoto had stepped in to take responsibility _._ No one had been willing to fight the (literally) smoldering teen on matter, and as Touya's relative they didn't have much room to argue.

"Shoto-nii." His brother looked so small, tired and _broken_. "I'm a bad person."

It wasn't a question. _Shit._ Shoto crouched down to hold Touya against him. He was warm- too warm and he instinctively clung closer to Shoto's right side. "You were lost," Shoto whispered, surprised at how much he sounded like their mother when she would comfort him after a harsh training session with their father.

 _She doesn't like the way I look._

Touya looked more like Endeavor than any of the Todoroki children and very likely didn't get the comfort from their mother that Shoto had received. He felt a sharp pang of sadness at the thought. "We found you, it'll be okay. You'll never be alone again."

Touya clung even tighter to his brother and Shoto took the opportunity to lift the child up and walk over to his bed. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow- Fuyumi, Natsuo, and... Father were to be informed about Touya first thing in the morning. Shoto never had much interaction with his siblings prior to U.A., but he did know the three of them were close as Natsuo was still bitter about Touya's estrangement and blamed their father. Just what exactly had happened?

Shoto flicked the lights off before climbing into bed, Touya tucked to his right side and he pulled the covers up before holding his brother close. He ruffled the spiky crimson hair on the side of his chest affectionately, waiting until Touya's breathing evened out in the deep thralls of slumber. Everything could wait until the morning.

* * *

"Shoto-nii, I had an accident."

Almost everything. Four thirty a.m. was technically the morning, wasn't it? With a groan, Shoto dragged himself out of bed. It was no secret among Class 1A that Shoto Todoroki enjoyed his sleep- on the bus, in the common room, early in the night, late in the morning. Whenever he could sleep- he _did_ , but some things were worth losing rest over. Removing the stench of fresh urine was one of them. Touya was already up, staring down at his feet with a guilty expression that the older Todoroki brother could see even in the dark of pre-dusk.

"Don't worry about it," Shoto said in his usual monotone. "I normally shower first thing in the morning, and I needed to do laundry anyway." He didn't, but Touya didn't need to feel any worse than waking up in his own piss must have felt. Shoto crinkled his nose at the mild smell but purpose avoided looking directly at his brother to save him the embarrassment of witnessing the wet spot on his crotch. Throwing two towels along with a change of clothes and a spare shirt so Touya would have _something_ to wear under his left arm, Shoto took his brother's hand with his right and led him down the hallway and the stairs to the dorm bathroom. Thankfully, the hallway was empty; the only student known to be up so early was Midoriya and he was most likely still asleep after the night's incident. Finding the men' shower room unoccupied, Shoto stripped Touya of the onesie gifted by Yaoyorozu before shucking his clothes as well. They would have to ask for another until he could provide a full wardrobe for the youngest Todoroki, but in the meantime they would make do.

He was pleased to find out Touya liked the water lukewarm as well, although he had a hunch it was due to his abnormally high body temperature. He felt feverish as Shoto lathered his hair and figured a trip to see Recovery Girl as a precaution was on the agenda regardless since it wasn't every day that someone was stripped of a decade and a half of their life. Once Touya was clean and dried, Shoto dressed himself in casual attire and his brother in a plain gray T shirt ten years too large for him (he was six when asked). A few improvised knots made it look like a sloppy gray toga, but it would at least keep the child's modesty intact until they had clothes that would fit. Picking his brother up in his right arm and the dirty laundry under his left, Shoto trudged to the laundry room before tossing the articles into the machine and setting it to wash. If Touya noticed that the load only included the clothes that were on their backs, he didn't mention it. Checking the time, he groaned as the clock seemed to taunt him at 5:15 a.m. and frowned at his little brother's attire. He really did look silly, and Touya deserved better after the shitshow that went down last night. _Screw it_ , she'll forgive him for this; it's for a good cause.

Two flights of stairs and several twists and turns- three to be exact- later, and Shoto found himself knocking gently on the front door of a dorm on the girl's side. After waiting a few seconds, he contemplated sitting by the washing machine with Touya and trying his luck drying their laundry by fire until his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door latch unlocking.

Momo Yaoyorozu opened the door wearing her casual clothes, hair down and blinking the last dredges of sleep from her eyes when her gaze landed on the younger Todoroki brother. Grey eyes wide in surprise, she gasped and whispered harshly. "Todoroki-san! What is the meaning of-"

"He's my brother," Shoto interrupted flatly. Yaoyorozu's high-class training apparently wasn't enough to override instinct as she gaped openly at the new information. "I'll explain."

Yaoyorozu stepped aside in invitation, allowing the Todoroki brothers inside before closing the door. Touya blinked in surprise and wonder at the enormous luxury bed that encompassed most of the room. "I trust you, Todoroki-san, but I'd like a proper explanation. I think I deserve that much at the very least."

Shoto tensed for a bit, realizing the pandora's box he was about to open. She was right, and he would owe her for the clothes, but he wasn't a fan of… _talking_. Granted, he had given more information to Midoriya when he only viewed him as a rival, an obstacle to overcome with half his power, and he and Yaoyorozu were much closer than he and Midoriya had been at the time. He supposed it was only fair. He looked to his right at the child hoisted by his right arm. "This is Touya Todoroki." Touya squeaked and hugged himself closer to Shoto's chest, peeking at Yaoyorozu through the corner of his eye. She reached over to ruffle his scarlet hair, smiling as Touya relaxed into her touch. Yaoyorozu's gaze tilted up, a silent request for more information.

"Our father, Endeavor used his power and influence to arrange a Quirk marriage with our mother. He wanted to produce a powerful offspring who could balance their body temperature, since his power is limited to how much excess heat his body can take." Shoto tried not to flinch at Momo's horrified gasp, her eyes widening in understanding.

"His scars as Dabi…" Now _that_ was something he hadn't thought through. Leave it to Yaoyorozu to think outside the box. Eyes wide in poorly concealed horror, he looked down at Touya to see turquoise eyes focused on the scar over his left eye.

"Shoto-nii, does your Quirk hurt you too?" _Shit_ , Recovery Girl was a mandatory visit, no questions asked. He'd stop by the support department too, whatever schedule his family had be damned. The look on Yaoyorozu's face made it clear that she was probably thinking something similar.

"No, I was his fourth and final attempt to create the _create_ a child who could regulate body temperature. It was… successful." He grit out. _That_ part was always vile on his tongue, no matter how long he had to accept the reality of it. Shoto noticed Touya visibly deflate and brought his left hand up to hug the child closer. "Touya was either his first or second; I don't actually know how old he was compared to my sister. I was separated from my siblings once my Quirk appeared and my father focused all his attention into training me."

"Todoroki-san…" She sounded so sad, so _heartbroken_ , but he didn't want her to look at him- at _them_ like that. Like they were broken things to be pitied and treated like glass.

"It wasn't an easy childhood, but I know Touya must have had it worse." He needed to rip the metaphorical bandage off this one. "Much worse. My scar came from when Mother went insane and threw boiling water at me because she thought my left side looked like Endeavor."

"And Touya-chan looks more like your father than you do," Yaoyorozu whispered, voice watery and eyes glossy with the beginning signs of tears. "I can't even imagine how horrible it must have been. It's a testimony to your character that you're our most qualified student."

"That's because Shoto-nii is perfect," Touya said somberly. Shoto could feel the dampness in his shirt where tears absorbed. "He's not a failure."

"According to the provisional licensing exam, I am," Shoto countered. "Bakugo, our other top student and I failed because we let our egos get in the way of what really mattered. Nobody is perfect, Touya." He pulled back and wiped the tears from Touya's eyes with his thumb. "And you're not a failure."

"But I became a villain." _Fuck_. What was he supposed to say to that? His heart clenched as he could see Touya's eyes watering once again.

"Heroes and villains are two sides of the same coin, and you never had anyone to show you how to land on the right side," Yaoyorozu countered. _Bless her_ , Touya was listening intently. "Now you have people who care about you and can lead you down the right path."

The little redhead was silent for a moment, processing Momo's spin on his situation. Touya looked up to his brother with a watery smile and Shoto's heart clenched at the pure sweetness of it. He could never understand how anyone could want to hurt such a cute child.

"I like your girlfriend, Shoto-nii! She's so nice- and pretty too!"

And now he understands how, but he's too distracted by the pounding of his own heart and the heat in his cheeks to go down _that_ train of thought. From her own red face and incoherent sputtering, Yaoyorozu isn't fairing much better herself.

"Girlfri- I, well I certainly admire Todoroki-san, but his- oh my I-"

"We're _classmates_ , Touya, and good friends." Shoto gritted out. Momo gave him a grateful look, and he felt his blush deepen because Touya _had_ to point out how pretty she was, and his traitorous mind took him back to their final exam when she had all but flashed her tits to him when she used her Quirk. "She made the outfit you were wearing last night with her Quirk. Which is _why_ we're here." Shoto went back to his practiced poker face before addressing Momo directly. "If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to ask for another one. The one you made is in the wash- Touya had an accident last night."

"Shoto-nii!" Aw, so revenge really _was_ sweet, but he did feel just a tad guilty. It's not like Touya had gone out of his way to embarrass the two teens. It was simply an innocent child assuming things. Thankfully, Momo seemed to take pity on Touya and smiled sweetly.

"Now now, there's no need to be embarrassed Touya-chan. These things happen, and I'd be more than happy to make you another one." She went to her night desk to retrieve a notebook that had been left open to the front page. Shoto raised a curious brow.

"I took his measurements last night," she explained. Of course she did- this _was_ Yaoyorozu after all, and if anyone could outcompete Midoriya in notetaking, it was the other student allowed in on recommendation. She crouched down to meet Touya at eye level. "Is there a different color you'd like? I made the one last night to match your eyes." Of course she did.

Touya's eyes widened. "I get to choose?" Shoto felt his heart break all over again at the pure shock in his little brother's tone. Momo nodded and blinked in surprise when Touya pointed to her purple shirt. He wanted to match, and she smiled before the light of her Quirk shined from her thigh and a purple onesie was presented to Shoto. He noted that Momo had once again decided to add her own personal touch- a yellow smiley face.

"Thank you, Yaoyorozu. I really appreciate it, and apologize for the early hour." His eyes widened slightly as her Quirk activated again, yielding a small red T-shirt and white shorts.

"Oh I'm more than happy to do it, Todoroki-kun! It isn't too much earlier than I'm accustomed to, and it's for a wonderful cause. Now he'll need more than just pajamas- come back later and I'll have a whole wardrobe for him! This is going to be so much fun!"

The older Todoroki felt his eye twitch involuntarily. So much for her worries about impacting the economy.

"Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san," Touya bowed his head and Shoto had to readjust him to keep his center of gravity. He straightened his neck and looked at Momo with curious teal eyes. "But if you're good friends with Shoto-nii, then isn't it okay to call him by his first name?"

Maybe Shoto should see Recovery Girl too; apparently in the past twelve hours he'd developed a repetitive eye twitch, although its trigger was cradled in his right arm. Who knew a child's innocence could be so damn stressful?

Momo for her part at least kept her composure beyond a light cute ( _shit_ ) blush on her cheeks. "If… if it's okay… then…" She trailed off, giving Shoto an expectant gaze. Shit, how could he say no to that?

"I'd like that… Momo," His eyes widened slightly, surprised at himself for taking the initiative, but it was well worth it to see the warm smile spread on Yaoyorozu's lips.

"I would as well, Shoto," She paused, giving the brothers a mock glare. "But back to bed you two! A growing boy needs his sleep, and I'm sure Touya is tired as well."

Touya giggled at Yaoyorozu's teasing and Shoto thanked her again before making his exit. More sleep was something he would never turn down.


	3. Chapter 3

Eight O' Clock was certainly preferable to four thirty, and an alarm (while annoying) was definitely preferable to changing his little brother- not that Shoto was complaining. The tired grumble against his chest indicated that Touya was just as annoyed by the alarm as he was. As much as Shoto would have loved to silence the blaring, the Todoroki family had a big day ahead of them and a good breakfast would probably be the only moment of peace Touya would have in what was likely to be a hellish day. Standing with a yawn, the teenager hoisted his brother up before ruffling his crimson hair as the younger Todoroki rubbed the sleep from his eyes with tiny hands. They entered the hallway to find Denki Kaminari and Hanta Sero mid-conversation, which abruptly ended as the two boys stared in muted shock at the bundle in Shoto's arms. The heterochromatic boy could only roll his eyes.

"He's my brother. His time has been reversed to when he was six. The change is permanent." He said curtly, not wanting to go into as much detail as he had with Yaoyo-Momo. He smiled down as Touya clutched tighter to him under the incredulous stares. "Touya, these are my classmates, Kaminari and Sero."

Touya looked at the gawking boys with uncertainty evident in his turquoise eyes. "H-hello," he greeted shyly. Touya's adorable timidity was all the icebreaker Sero and Kaminari needed to be all smiles and friendliness to the child.

"Man, this was Dabi?" Kaminari asked, bending slightly to meet Touya eye to eye. His grin was so wide Shoto thought he might split his face in two. "He's so freaking cute! Bet you were a real lady killer before the scars and staples, huh?"

Shoto was suddenly ready to split Denki's face in a violent way.

"Scars and staples?!" Touya whimpered, eyes wide in fear. Denki withered under Shoto's murderous glare before Sero's hand smacked the back of his head with audible slap.

"Idiot! Todoroki just said he doesn't remember anything! You trying to give the poor kid nightmares?" The plain-faced tape user offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry little guy. This moron-" he gestured at the blonde with a thumb, "doesn't think things through, and that's before he fries his brain with his Quirk."

Touya blinked and looked at Kaminari in small wonder. "Your Quirk hurts you too?"

Denki and Sero gawked at Shoto with obvious concern, the mood suddenly somber. The former closed his jaw with an audible snap when he noticed the little redhead was still addressing him. He swallowed thickly, for once choosing his words carefully. "It's getting better thanks to the support gear Hatsume-san and Power Loader-sensei developed for me. I'm sure they can help you out, little guy. The support department at U.A. is amazing!"

Touya wiggled slightly in Shoto's arms to look up at his brother with excitement radiating despite the shy smile. "Shoto-nii?"

The older Todoroki couldn't hold back his smile if he tried. "I had already planned to take you after your checkup with Recovery Girl." He answered his brother's unasked question. "Let's eat breakfast first."

Touya hugged him tightly, and Kaminari sighed at the scene as the four of them continued down the hallway towards the common room and kitchen. "How can any of us guys compete with a pretty-boy who is good with kids?"

Sero grinned wryly. "It's not like we could compete before..."

* * *

"What the **FUCK** is he doing here?!"

Shoto felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. So much for a peaceful breakfast. The onlookers- which consisted of Izuku Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka, Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido, Hagakure Toru (if the floating pajamas were any indication), Tsuyu Asui, and Shoto's current entourage- watched in nervous silence as the top two powerhouses of Class 1A stared each other down. Shoto hugged his brother closer to bury the child's face in his chest to avoid Katsuki Bakugo's vicious scowl. He regarded the ashen blonde coolly.

"Starting the day off with breakfast like any growing child should," He retorted nonchalantly in his typical deadpan voice, which only seemed visibly irritate the resident bomber even further. Then again, what didn't set Bakugo off? Shoto could never understand Midoriya's irrational desire to be friends with the hothead.

"You bastard..." Bakugo's brow twitched and the vein in his temple bulged. "What the fuck are you playing at keeping a fucking villain in the dorm, HAAAAH?!" His palms sparkled and little explosions danced in his hands, sickly sweet smoke from nitroglycerin drifting through the air. Touya removed his face from Shoto's chest to sniff the air, a large grin forming small dimples on his cheeks.

"He smells sweet, like dessert!" He squealed excitedly. Touya looked at Bakugo with a wide smile, all innocence as if the blonde hadn't been screaming about him just a moment ago. "Do you use girly soap like my sister, Fuyumi?"

Shoto choked on his spit and Kirishima had all of a split second to grab Bakugo as he lunged at the Todoroki brothers, locking the explosive boy in a full Nelson and activating his Quirk for good measure. The girls- minus Asui, were laughing hysterically and clutching their sides, the previous tension completely gone with Touya's out of left field question. The boys seemed to have a little more concern over Touya's physical well-being, all of them tensing with Midoriya stepping between the Todorikis and Katsuki should the blonde break free from his friend's hold.

" **Let me go, Shitty Hair!** " Bakugo roared, pulling against his friend's hold with vicious thrashing. " **I'll kill him! I'll kill them both!**

"Easy Bakugo! He's a little kid!" Kirishima gritted out, clearly struggling despite his Quirk. Shoto ignited his left side along his eye threateningly, ready to throw down with the explosion user if necessary. Midoriya, bless him, snapped to his natural peacemaking role.

"Kacchan! He really is a kid now- Eri-chan's Quirk is permanent, so Dabi doesn't exist anymore. We sorted through it last night." The freckled teen frantically explained. "He doesn't remember anything past his current age. Isn't that right, Touya-kun?"

Bakugo's slanted eyes widened slightly and he stopped struggling in Kirishima's grasp, and Shoto took that as a cue to quench his flames. Kirishima released his hold with a relieved sigh while the other students watched wide-eyed. Touya squirmed in his brother's arms, reaching for Midoriya with a wide grin. "Izuku-kun!"

Shoto (begrudgingly) relinquished his little brother to Midoriya but couldn't place any fault with the child for reaching for his friend- Izuku was the first to reach for Touya when he had woken up from his age shift. Midoriya happily accepted the little Todoroki with a grin to match Touya's, who clung to him tightly.

"He's so cute!" Mina squealed next to Toru, who held her phone out at the scene. If the rapid staccato of a camera shutter was any indication, Shoto would guess she was taking photos- and lots of them. "And is that another gift from Yaomomo?"

"Yaomomo..." Touya mulled before smiling. It seems he liked Ashido's nickname for Momo.

"He looks like a chibi Endeavour and has a fire Quirk, kero kero." Tsuyu commented bluntly, earning an eerie silence as all eyes were on Touya, the students beginning to make the connection Asui had. Sero and Kaminari cringed. The child flinched under the room's scrutiny and Shoto clenched his jaw. Shit. Better get it over with.

"He's my brother," He stated flatly, ignoring the numerous gasps that followed this revelation. "I don't know what had happened to him to turn him into Dabi, but I refuse to let it happen again. Principle Nezu and the police agreed that it would be best for everyone if he were to be raised to adulthood naturally rather than reverse the effects of Eri's Quirk."

"Can't argue with that! He's stinkin' cute!" Kirishima cheered boisterously. Bakugo glared at his optimistic friend.

"For now, Shitty Hair," the irate blonde grumbled. He glared at Shoto, who returned it. "How do we know he ain't gonna end up the same, haaaahh?"

"Heroes and villains are two sides of the same coin, Bakugo-chan." Tsuyu commented, a long index finger touching the corner of her mouth in contemplation. The girls must spend a lot of time together if their advice was cookie cutter at this point, Shoto noted. Not that he was complaining- it certainly helped his brother earlier. "If the villains thought they could turn you to villainy, then isn't it hypocritical to say Touya-chan can't grow to be a hero, kero kero?"

 **She said it out loud!** The entire room shouted in unison. Kirishima grappled with the explosion user once again as he tried to lunge at Asui this time. The frog girl was nonplussed as she approached Midoriya and Touya.

"Helll Touya-chan. I'm Tsuyu, but you can call me Tsu-chan, kero kero."

Uraraka followed suit, friendly grin wide and ready as she introduced herself as well. Shoto relaxed and smiled, glad that Touya's main interactions with his classmates (excluding Bakugo) were with the ones he knew were good with children. His little brother had visibly relaxed quite a bit in the presence of such friendly faces and was returning Uraraka's smile in full force.

"First Kota-kun, then Eri-chan, and now Touya-kun," Ochako chirped, giving Midoriya a playful nudge with her elbow. "You should start charging rates for babysitting, Deku-kun."

Midoriya blushed while sputtering a response about how he was happy to help children without pay. Touya tilted his head slightly and looked up at the freckled teen.

"Deku?" He questioned before frowning slightly. "That's mean..."

"It used to be an insult, but Uraraka-san changed the meaning for me," Midoriya explained. He blushed slightly. "She told me that it sounded like Dekiru, like someone who never gives up. The name makes me happy now- I actually use it as my hero name!"

Touya blinked owlishly, looking between Ochako and Izuku before smiling widely. Shoto felt his heart drop to his stomach- shit. He saw that look not just four hours ago before when Touya had assumed-

"A pet name from Izuku-kun's girlfriend?" Ah, there it was, although it wasn't nearly as embarrassing when he wasn't on the receiving end of Touya's assumptions. That still didn't save Midoriya and Uraraka the embarrassment as both teens flushed a scarlet to match his brother's hair while Ashido and Hagakure squealed loudly.

"He's one of us!" Mina shrieked, hugging her invisible friend as the two jumped up and down in their excitement. The rest of the class present had varying degrees of sympathy or amusement plastered on their faces, although none could match Bakugo. He was on the ground, released again from Kirishima, wide-eyed with one hand covering his mouth to stifle his laughter while the other pounded the ground. His current reaction was more pronounced than his reaction to Camie's illusion of Shoto, which he still didn't understand the humor behind.

"Holy fucking shit! That was too good!" He cackled shamelessly, Kirishima sighing as he looked down at his overly amused friend.

"He thinks it's funny when he's not on the receiving end."

Bakugo looked up and shot Shoto a wicked grin. "I take it back, IcyHot. Let's keep him, this kid is a goldmine."

Shoto felt his brow twitch slightly at that, but calmly walked forward to retrieve his brother. "You think that until he decides it's your turn to be embarrassed," The older Todoroki retorted as he plucked Touya from a shell shocked Midoriya. "We don't have much time for playing around- I'm taking Touya to Recovery Girl and the support department immediately after breakfast." He turned his head to coolly address his classmates. "His Quirk burns him, so we're going to figure out a way to prevent that from happening again."

Shoto didn't need a mind-reading Quirk to know the mixed looks of shock, sadness, or horror (or a combination of any of the three) from his classmates were the result of connecting that information to Dabi's scars. Even Bakugo, who had only shown rage or mirth at this point in the morning was regarding the Todoroki brothers with a pensive seriousness that Shoto had only heard of from Midoriya. His sharp, red eyes narrowed at Shoto in a way that could only be described as calculating, and the older Todoroki found himself feeling legitimately threatened by the blonde for the first time since meeting him. Just what exactly did he know?

"Father said my body was suited for an ice Quirk, but my fire burns hotter than his," Touya explained, looking down at his hands sadly. "I got a bad draw."

Shoto saw Bakugo's eyes widen in what could only be realization. A chill that wasn't associated with his Quirk ran up the teenager's spine- whether it be from Bakugo or from Touya's haunting statement of what could have been him, he couldn't say.

The uncomfortable silence was broken by Mina Ashido, of all people. "My Quirk burns me when I make my acid too strong, but that's why I'm here at U.A.!" The pink girl chirped. Kirishima walked up to join her and grinned widely, sharp teeth on full display.

"That's right! All our Quirks have drawbacks, but that's why we're here to learn!"

Kaminari winked playfully at the Todoroki brothers. "You'll have our support, so don't worry about it! Let's make breakfast- omelettes on the house!"

"No no! Cereal- they're in a hurry!" Hagakure countered. "And some fruit!"

"No way, steak and eggs for sure," Kirishima chimed in. "A man needs protein!"

"But he's a little boy!"

Shoto blinked as his classmates devolved to arguing about Touya's breakfast. "You have such nice friends, Shoto-nii. Is this what a family feels like?" He looked down at Touya after his quiet question and smiled softly.

"I suppose it is."

* * *

After a breakfast of cereal and greek yogurt (which had enough protein to be Kirishima-approved), the Todoroki brothers returned to Shoto's room to get ready. Shoto was pleasantly surprised that Momo had left a box of produced clothes for Touya at his door. He made a mental note to thank her later. After changing into a casual T shirt and jeans, Shoto dressed his brother in a pair of overalls and teal shirt, with shoes to match. Momo had made sure to color-coordinate his outfits and had put the ensembles together, which really made Shoto's life easier. He wasn't exactly into fashion details- if he liked it and it was practical, he wore it. Once they were finished, the Todoroki brothers were greeted by Midoriya and Kirishima at the door before leaving the dorms to walk to campus. It wasn't until they had reached the campus hallways that Kirishima decided to break the silence.

"You know, Touya-chan, Midoriya here used to hurt himself with his Quirk all the time. I swear he broke a limb at least once a week." Kirishima revealed to Izuku's mortification. He clapped the blushing boy on the back with a proud smile. "And now he's one of our best!"

"K-kirishima-kun..."

Touya looked at Midoriya as if he held all the answers in the world. Shoto tried not to feel jealous. "How did you do it, Izuku-kun?"

The freckled teen scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well at the start, I couldn't control how much power I used. I was either at 0% or 100%, and the latter would destroy any part of my body that channeled my Quirk."

Touya looked down at his hands, producing a small blue flame. "My Quirk always burns this hot. Maybe I can learn to cool it down?"

He flinched slightly, and Shoto noticed the skin underneath the flame tinging red with the signs of a first degree burn. He grabbed his brother's hands with his right hand, frosting them over. "Stop that," He commanded sternly but not unkindly. Shoto rubbed the skin on his brother's palms softly, relieved that it had returned to a healthy color. "We don't need you to needlessly injure yourself before we've found a solution."

"I'm sorry, Shoto-nii," Touya looked away, ashamed.

"Don't worry Touya-kun! It's not nearly as bad as what I used to do to myself, especially during my fight with your big brother!" Midoriya explained hurriedly. Touya looked between the boys, shocked.

"Izuku-kun and Shoto-nii fought?"

"It was during the U.A. Sports Festival," Shoto explained in his deadpan monotone. "Every attack he used broke a finger."

"A finger?" Touya asked, head tilted as the gears in his head turned. Midoriya nodded in confirmation.

"Because I could only go all power or nothing, I used my fingers one at a time to minimize the damage."

"It was super manly!" Kirishima praised. "To attack knowing you're breaking a bone every time you do! Midoriya is the manliest of us all!" The redhead suddenly wilted under Shoto's glare. "That is, uh, well-"

"It wasn't without consequence," Midoriya saved Kirishima from further scrutiny. He held up his scarred hand for Touya to see. "They are like ticking time bombs. Any more injuries like that, and I might never be able to use my hands again."

"I see, I think I understand now," Touya muttered, looking down at his hands, which he held in a 'play gun' form. Before Shoto could ask what he meant, a gasp from Midoriya drew his attention from his brother. What he saw made him feel like his heart dropped down to his stomach and straight to the floor.

Standing in front of Recovery Girl's office was his father in full costume, a looming figure that towered above the three teenagers.

Enji Todoroki found Shoto's eyes with his own. "Shoto," He acknowledged, and Shoto felt himself at a loss for words. He wasn't prepared to see his father so soon- wasn't prepared as the turquoise of Endeavor's eyes met the matching hue of his previous eldest's, now his youngest. An emotion that Shoto had never seen on his father's face was clear as day and oh so confusing because it very possibly was the first time it had happened.

"Touya..." His deep baritone choked out, disbelieving, shocked, and sad. For the first time in his life, Shoto saw the face of sorrow on his father.


End file.
